Billy Lee

Slaves are not supposed to have a dramatic effect on colonial life. They were viewed as a materialistic object rather then an emotional attachment. George Washington stepped outside of this norm, and accepted William “Billy” Lee into his family. George Washington was not only emotionally attached to Lee, but also depended on him for everyday life and services. Washington purchased Lee for 61.15 pounds from Smith Ball Lee of Westmoreland County in 1767 (Cunliffe 22). The date in …

…slave and almost an unknown, Lee didn’t get the recognition he should have deserved. If Lee was a white man then he would have been a prominent figure in the Revolution, instead he’s an afterthought. Washington explained why he granted Lee freedom, "As a testimony for his attachment to me and for his faithful services during the Revolutionary War." Many leave out such an important person in Washington’s life in the cold.